The present invention relates to mechanisms for coupling components of a vehicle to a portion of a vehicle frame and/or body.
In vehicles incorporating a frame-mounted body structure, various methods are used to attach portions of the vehicle frame (for example, cross-members and the like) to the vehicle body. Other portions of the vehicle may also be coupled to the vehicle body via (or along) the frame portions attached to the body. For example, other portions of the vehicle may be attached to the frame portions via bolts or other suitable connection means.
It is desirable that the frame portions and/or any frame-to-body connection structures, or joints, have sufficient strength and stiffness to prevent excessive deflection or deformation of the frame responsive to loads applied through the connection means. In addition, in order to meet various vehicle performance and fuel economy targets, it is desirable to minimize the overall weight of the vehicle. The designs of metallic panels and other body components may be optimized so as to minimize the required thickness of the materials used. This design optimization, the increasing use of BIW (“body in white”) structures, and the increasing use of composite and other relatively lighter-weigh materials all help to facilitate vehicle weight reduction. However, in order to fully exploit the benefits offered by such technologies, a need exists for frame structures and frame-to-body joint structures which provide the desired stiffness while minimizing the weight of such structures.